VESZPREM (Hungary): The AlgoDyne Green Power Racing Team completed the penultimate leg of the new Central Europe Rally around Veszprém in Hungary in seventh and ninth positions on Friday.

X-raid team driver Bruno Saby and co-driver Alain Guehennec now hold sixth in the general classification. Spaniard Carlos Sainz edged 18 seconds ahead of French arch rival Stephane Peterhansel in the overall standings after a thrilling battle over the challenging Hungarian terrain.

“Guerlain had a puncture today, but otherwise we had no problems at all,” admitted X-raid team director Sven Quandt. “Now both Bruno and Guerlain will take it carefully and make sure we reach the finish. Guerlain can, maybe, have some fun on the last day and try and take a fastest time.”

Today’s leg was a repeat of Thursday’s two stages to the north of Lake Balaton. Saby and Chicherit began the day in seventh and 26th in the overall standings, after American Robbie Gordon reappeared on the leader board after Thursday’s problems.

Saby, a Dakar Rally winner in 1993, needed to gain 10 minutes over Carlos Sousa to stand a chance of wresting seventh position from the Portuguese driver’s clutches.

Peterhansel and Sainz were the fastest out of the blocks and were the pace setters through the first passage control, with Chicherit running in third place and Saby in 10th. But Sainz eventually won the stage by 28 seconds and snatched a six-second overall lead. Chicherit set the third quickest time for the X-raid team and Saby was ninth.

Sainz extended his lead over Peterhansel to 18 seconds on the shorter second stage, although he was beaten by a second by Robbie Gordon for the fastest time. Saby and Chicherit set the eighth and 10th fastest times and were ninth and seventh on the leg, when the two times were added together.

Tomorrow (Saturday) the Central Europe Rally reaches a conclusion near the shores of Lake Balaton after the seventh and final leg of the new ASO-organised event. Teams will tackle a 155km selective section, before a straightforward 11km liaison section steers crews to the official finishing ceremony at the tourist resort of Balatonfüred on the northern shores of the lake.

Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe and a popular tourist destination. It is 77km long and ranges in width from four kilometres to 14, although it is relatively shallow and is no more than 12 metres deep.